I don’t know if you’ve ever imagined what the most decorated American athlete of the 2026 Winter Olympics is like, but if you’re like me, it’s hard to picture the level of focus Jordan Stolz operates with.
Now, don't get it twisted, he's still a cool-as-ice speed skater, but he has the mindset of an Olympic champion. So much so, he doesn’t even have a competition playlist or listen to music when he's in competition mode. (I know. I was shocked too.)
But blocking out the noise is a big part of why Stolz had the most successful run of the Games, finishing with the highest medal count for Team USA — a result he simply described as "not bad."
"Would have liked to have three golds, but two is pretty good," he admitted with a laugh.
Stolz’s time in Milan wasn’t just defined by what happened on the ice. He told iHeartRadio that he found joy in visualizing those wins — and later, unwinding with them in a way only he could.
“I would say my happy place was [lying] in bed with my gold medals, and maybe a couple of Hershey’s bars on the side, right?" he recalled. "The gold medal and the Hershey’s chocolate, probably equal, but yeah, [that was] my happy place for the moment of the games.”
For a 21-year-old who was inspired by Apolo Ohno and Shani Davis in 2010 to lace up his first pair of skates, Stolz has already accomplished what many athletes spend a lifetime chasing.
But for the first-time Olympian, that reality was still a dream just weeks ago, which is why he said he would tell anyone inspired by his journey to "keep on skating as hard as you can, and don’t lose focus of [those] dreams, because they’re right around the corner, and it was [for me]."
I caught up with Stolz to talk about his record-breaking Olympics run, the mindset behind it, and what comes next.
What was going through your mind the first time you touched Olympic ice — and then stood on the podium? Did it meet your expectations?
Well, when I touched the ice for the first time, it was really weird, actually, because the rink is temporary. The ice, the cracking underneath, the lake sound — all of that was really surprising. But it didn’t affect the races at all. I’m actually surprised with how fast they could make the ice there, and the quality of it. They did a really good job, so I really enjoyed it.
And being on the podium, that’s something. The feeling of hearing the national anthem is probably the most outstanding thing because the whole country’s behind you in that moment, right? You just won a gold medal, and it’s not another country’s anthem that’s playing — it’s yours, and that makes you feel kind of good.
When you look back on the Games beyond the medals, what moments will stay with you the longest? The mullet moment? The Olympic ring pasta?
I think all of those put together [are] memories that I’m never gonna forget. I don’t know if I have a single one memory that I love the most. I think it’s just becoming an Olympic champion for the first time. That’s something that will never leave your heart. That’s what I feel the best about.
When I think about you, Alysa Liu, and Amber Glenn, I’m struck by your mindset — the confidence, the composure, the way you perform under pressure. Where does your mindset come from?
I’m not exactly sure. Maybe just my family’s lifestyle and how I was raised — maybe that has something to do with it. I think I have a pretty good mindset going into the races. I try to focus on what I can do in the race and not let outside things affect me. I think I did a pretty good job of that at the Games, so it was good.
What happens now as you look ahead to 2030?
There’s gonna be a lot of training. Hopefully, I’m still eating Hershey’s chocolate.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.